Storm discharges reduced after Hoylandswaine storm overflow investment

A Yorkshire Water storm overflow project in Hoylandswaine in south Yorkshire has reduced the number of discharges into Ellhirst Beck, improving water quality.  

The scheme has seen the lining of 1km of the sewer in the area near Hoylandswaine wastewater treatment works, to reduce levels of groundwater infiltration into the sewer network. This is turn reduces the volume of the flows in the sewer and reduces the need for the storm overflow to operate to protect homes and businesses from flooding.  

Contract partner Sapphire Utility Solutions carried out the £500,000 investment, beginning the work at the start of the summer. Now the project is complete, the number of storm overflow discharges will reduce by 20%. 

Martin Ineson, project manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “We're pleased to have completed these works at Hoylandswaine, as part of our wider £180m investment project across Yorkshire by the end of April 2025 to reduce discharges from storm overflows and improve river water quality.”

Yorkshire Water is also completing work at Hoylandswaine wastewater treatment works to reduce the levels of Phosphorous in treated wastewater returned to the environment. Whilst a small amount of Phosphorous is a normal part of domestic sewage and essential to many ecosystems, it can become damaging to human and animal life when unmanaged, so it’s important that we keep levels low and maintain the health of our rivers. 

The Phosphorous reduction project is part of a £500m investment by 2025 in Phosphorus removal throughout Yorkshire under the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). 

In nearby Barnsley, Yorkshire Water is underway with four storm overflow projects totalling £9.3m - at Cloughfields, Jump, Elsecar, and Cudworth.